Rumour has it that Elvis Presley’s favourite snack was a sandwich called ‘Fools Gold’. This behemoth of a treat is essentially a hollowed-out loaf of bread filled with bacon, peanut butter, and jam (jelly for our transatlantic cousins).
The story goes that Elvis had such a penchant for this sandwich that he instantly dropped plans to travel to Denver and the Colorado Mine Company, the shop that made it so famous. Not only would he derail his own schedule to satisfy his craving, but he reportedly flew friends and family from Memphis on a private jet just so they could get in on the action.
While I can’t say that a Fools Gold sandwich whets my appetite, he certainly has my respect for the dedication he showed to it. Because while I would like to convince myself I wouldn’t, the reality is, if I had a private jet, I would most likely fly it to Newcastle every day just so I could visit the Greggs outlet.
It’s a fitting snack for a man who loved his food as much as Elvis. But it wasn’t just peanut butter, jam and bacon that The King liked to stuff in between pieces of bread. No, he was partial to a good old-fashioned hamburger and so hired a member of staff whose main job was to facilitate his cravings.
Aptly named Hamburger James, he was the go-to guy when it came to securing a burger. He had likely mistaken his role in Elvis’ entourage for one of invisibility, thinking the humble job of obtaining food for the King meant he went relatively unnoticed in comparison to more important members of the team.
And so the story goes that Hamburger James thought he could steal from Elvis and continue on his role unscathed. In 1974, James reportedly stole money, photos, and jewellery from the singer, who eventually spotted he was missing his belongings. When Elvis and his team twigged that it was Hamburger James, they quickly went to confront him. And so there he was, gleefully sitting on a plane back to Memphis, when his boss walked on.
The team dragged him off the plane, back to the hotel, where Elvis took the issue into his own hands. “Elvis reaches over while Hamburger James is looking straight at him, scared to death, and slaps him twice,” Presley’s stepbrother, Rick Stanley, said in an interview. “Like in the movies, A slap, and then a backhand. Pow! Then pow! Again.”
When James was caught red-handed, he reportedly wept with shame and guilt, knowing he had betrayed the icon’s trust. But while he was firm in his initial response, Elvis was later struck by James’ emotional state. He asked him why he felt the need to do that and even offered to give him more money if that was what drove his behaviour.
Elvis later insisted he didn’t have to leave his team, and that he would pay him more to help, but James eventually insisted on leaving. Elvis then reportedly gave him a few weeks’ salary before sending him back to the airport.